Are Formerly Obese People Suffering From Undiagnosed Eating Disorders?

In the December 2014 issue of Monitor on Psychology, the official publication of the American Psychological Association, staff writer Anna Miller wrote a fascinating article about eating disorders going unrecognized in overweight or obese people. An eating disorder, as you may know, is a medically and psychologically recognized condition that warrants significant intervention. 

There are currently three eating disorders that are identified. They are: Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder. Anorexia is typically identified by the person being underweight as a result of restricting the amount of food he eats. The major symptoms of Bulimia are binge eating and purging in the form of vomiting and laxative use. Binge Eating Disorder is like bulimia but without the purging. I say these disorders are “typically identified” with these symptoms because they can show up in other ways.

As Ms. Miller aptly points out, formerly obese or overweight patients who lose weight are usually celebrated for their success. However, now we need to question how they arrived at their weight loss. If their success was “earned” the old-fashioned way by eating a healthy diet, exercising appropriately, and managing their emotions, I say bravo!  But, what we are learning is that sometimes this weight loss is actually a side effect of an eating disorder. And, we are discovering that it can takes months before someone realizes that the formerly overweight person is now in trouble with an eating disorder.

If you or someone you know has dropped a lot of weight and you are concerned that the eating behavior may in fact be “disordered,” please seek out medical and psychological help immediately. Eating disorders can be treated but they must be properly diagnosed in order to get any results.

Until next time,

Dr. Sheila